Just How Difficult Is Marketing Online?

I had a short conversation with an individual who was successful by most people’s standards when it came to being a leader in Marketing (MLM).  He built a sizeable organization with little or no help from an upline but after about 3 years with the company found that people were leaving faster than they were joining.  He said he had no problem ‘recruiting’ people, but he had issue with people not wanting to put in the time and effort with growing and succeeding in Marketing.

This is where today’s lesson begins…….

Contrary to what you may have been told, MLM is not about recruiting as many people as you can and building up a huge moment and hope that a few hundred stick around and pay the industry average $150.00 per month on an autoship.

Marketing is about Education and not only education but keeping abreast of the latest trends.  If you are reading this article on my blog then you are current.  You likely understand the importance of having a blog.  You no longer want to send those who are interested in business to a generic company website.

What you want is for them to learn about you and what you have to offer should they choose to follow you in your present marketing company.   The key element……YOU.

What are your skills?  Have you taken any online courses on topics like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Blogging?  All of these topics are vehicles that will help you build long lasting relationships and a healthy organization.

Now Rome wasn’t built in a day and learning this type of information could take months and there are always new techniques evolving and being taught.   Well, if you noticed, 2 of my last 3 blog posts have been on ‘Tribes’.  ‘Tribes’ are the latest craze on the internet and if you are still uncertain what I am speaking about then I want you to read the questions below and take inventory of where you currently find yourself….

What if you could become part of a community that shared the same passion for learning, for developing new skills, for growing, for helping others, etc?

What if for a small fee, in comparison to the weekend course that cost thousands of dollars, you could learn about the latest trends with some of the top leaders in Marketing today?

What if there was a way to get all of this in a well thought out and well structured package that included its very own NING community?

What if?

So I ask you this, would you be willing to pay for several weeks education?  Have full access to the recorded webinars and become surrounded with other individuals that have similar goals and objectives?

Would you not want to work with leaders in other markets, companies, etc where you can learn from them and have access to them anytime you want?

I think it is easy to see that these are some very easy questions to answer.  If you truly want to better yourself, grow, and stretch yourself then you need to be a part of the webinar listed below.

On Thursday, Feb 4^th, 2010 you will have the ability to attend a FREE webinar to learn exactly what is at stake, learn exactly what is happening with all of this talk of ‘Tribes’ lately.  The choice is yours my friend but I encourage you to take 90 minutes out of your Thursday evening to attend…..

Click Here To Register For Thursday’s Free Webinar

http://tribe.karyrogney.com or

http://tribeformula.createwitheric.com

I came across this story today and felt it was necessary for me to share…. I trust you will do the same upon reading it…..

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.   His name was Kyle.

It looked like he was carrying all of his books.  I thought to myself,  Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?  He must really be a nerd.

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.  They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him…

He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.  My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, ‘Those guys are jerks.’  They really should get lives.  He looked at me and said, ‘Hey thanks!’ There was a big smile on his face..

It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.  As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before..

He said he had gone to private school before now.  I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.

We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.  He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.  I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends and he said yes.  We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.  I stopped him and said, Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday

He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends..

When we were seniors we began to think about college.  Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.

I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never  be a problem. He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship..

Kyle was valedictorian of our class.  I teased him all the time about being a nerd.

He had to prepare a speech for graduation.  I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak

Graduation day, I saw Kyle.  He looked great.  He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school… He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.

He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.  Boy, sometimes I was jealous!   Today was one of those days.  I could see that he was nervous about his speech.  So, I smacked him on the back and said, ‘Hey, big guy, you’ll be great!’

He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.

Thanks, he said.   

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began…

Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.  Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach…but mostly your friends…..

I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.  I am going to tell you a story.

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met.

He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.

He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.  He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.  Thankfully, I was saved.

My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable…

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.

I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.

Not until that moment did I realize it’s depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions..

With one small gesture you can change a person’s life.

For better or for worse……

God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way.

Look for God in others.

You now a choice, you can :

1) Pass this on to your friends by retweeting it, social bookmarking it, posting it on Facebook

or

2) Say that was a nice story and act like it didn’t touch your heart….

It’s your call…..

As you can see, I took choice number 1…

Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.   There is no beginning or end… Yesterday is history…..Tomorrow is a mystery.  Today is a gift…. That is why they call it the present.

Know That You Are Appreciated……..

More Tribe Talk

In my last blog post I made mention of the latest craze on Twitter, Facebook and the Internet as a whole…….  “TRIBES”.   Today I want to revisit the idea and explain where I am coming from.

I joined the tribe mastermind 1.0 in late December and was immediately welcomed with arms wide open by approximately 25 other like-minded individuals.

We are all in “Marketing” to some degree and all in different companies, with the exception the leaders of this tribal moment who are part of the same company and exploding things like never seen before.  They are using social media (the skills and attributes they have mastered) to build a business.

I quickly discovered that I needed to create a blog post on a weekly basis as everyone belonging to the community was doing the same and we were required to have open minds to learn, share and discuss any and all content.  It was networking in its purest form.  No selling, recruiting, trying to make money off of each other, no comparing of each other’s companies….. just a time to build healthy and long lasting business relationships.

Each and every member that I have worked with thus far has some sort of talent.  One in particular, Kimberly Castleberry, literally saved my blog!  She is…. and I say this in the most respectful way… a computer techy.  She knows computers and I am…. shall we say a little behind the times but learning every day!

There were a series of classes (webinars) that educated everyone on the call no matter whether you were a beginner or an “expert” in your area.  I learned so many new things about Facebook that I never knew before.  Other topics included Twitter, Youtube, Blogging and Content Creation/Syndication just to name a few.

We are very privileged to have six (6) great Leaders who keep us on track and are the brains of the operation but there are so many other great leaders in training just waiting to break out……  Each and everyone who is in the “tribe” is a Leader in many respects.  We are all going to be great leaders with the guidance of the six at the top.

If you would like further information, feel free to contact any of the following individuals:

Kary Rogney

Michael Feil

Nick Logan

Jon Alfredsson

Ken Pickard

Eric Goldstein

They will be hosting a FREE WEBINAR on Thursday, Jan 28^th to further discuss and educate us on a series of topics that will help anyone who desires to take their marketing campaign to the next level, no matter where you currently find yourself.

So, I encourage you to click either of the links

http://tribeformula.createwitheric.com or

http://tribe.karyrogney.com/ and sign up for the FREE

webinar…. no strings attached…..

What are you waiting for?

What Is All This Talk Of Tribes Lately ???

If you have been paying attention to Twitter on Tuesday evenings then you may have noticed the #tribetuesday catch phrase appear.  If you haven’t, believe me…. it is only a matter of time.

So what exactly is all the fuss?  Have you read the book entitled “Tribes” by Seth Godin?  If you answered no, then you better put that on your immediate “To Do List”, not the one that your wife and you make for ‘around the house’ but the one that you try to fulfill each and every week!

I took it to the next level and purchase the CD/Audio set because I do spend some time traveling and also because I can listen to it while sitting at my computer.

Let’s get you up to speed quickly here with a definition of a tribe.  According to “Oxford Canadian Dictionary” 2^nd Edition it is “A Group Or Community Of People United By A Shared Profession Or Hobby” I think that fits nicely with what the group of names listed below have set out to accomplish.

I have been very fortunate to meet up with the likes of:

Kary Rogney

Michael Feil

Nick Logan

Jon Alfredsson

Ken Pickard

Eric Goldstein

I learn something new about these gentlemen each and every day either through reading about their content or by means of speaking with them.  They have definitely seen a need for leadership in Education, Home Based Business / Social Media and the MLM Arena.   Not only have they seen the need, they have taken it to a whole new level and set the bar very high in doing so.

You will notice that each of their names are hyperlinked…. which simply means that once you click on it your will be taken directly to their blog.  I have done so because they all have tremendous amounts of value to offer anyone wishing to grow and stretch themselves.

So, what is the purpose of the “Tribe” as we know it?  Well, it serves many purposes but I am going to outline only 3 that I believe are of most importance:

1)      Accountability and Support

2)      Education – Ongoing and Reinforcement

3)      Syndication – Sharing Of Others Content

Let me briefly explain these three important criteria…..

Accountability and Support is more or less self-explanatory.  In life what is easy to do is also easy not to do.  That is why having a support group or shall I say “tribe” so important to your success.  Knowing that I have to complete at least one blog post per week, get on a weekly call, and really stay on top of things is the true power of our tribe.

Secondly is Education. These gentlemen and those who they have as mentors, men and women alike, are staying abreast of the most currently and relevant Education that will only further our continued success.  If you are not Educating yourself then you are not growing.  Leaders are Readers!

Lastly is the power of Syndication.  Without Syndication, I would not have nearly as much traffic to my Blog,Ttwitter or Facebook account.  It is solely because of the Syndication that takes place that all tribe members are being rewarded with traffic and more importantly the creation of relationships.

So, I encourage you to do two things:  (1) Visit the blogs of the individuals whose names are listed above and (2) check out Seth Godin’s Book on Tribes.

Lego Lesson With My 4 Year Old…..

I was sitting and playing lego with my oldest son, Tyson, the other day when it dawned on me that I have a great teaching point here.  But first, a little history on the lego.

It is fact the very same lego that I played with almost 30 years ago.  Yes, my parents were clever enough to save it for me and wow, do I have a lot of lego.

In todays market, I am sure that it would easily fetch over $1000 for all of it.  Not that I have thought about it…… just a good thing that I don’t use Ebay….

So, it is all collected and contained in a large rubber maid container, or at least most of it is….remember I do have two small boys!   Recall the last story I made mention of my 2 year old son, Denver, well he has gotten over the stage of wanting to eat everything (oral stage) but I think it is safe to say he is still in destruction mode

…. makes for some interesting evenings and weekends to say the least.  He is finally understanding that taking it apart will get him 2 minutes in the penalty box! (you can tell I am Canadian, eh?)

What lesson did I learn?  Well, I was sorting through all of the colors, shapes and sizes to build our lego city when eventually I decided that I could work with any color, shape or size to build things.  You see, our lego is a collection of several different sets, purchased over several years.  Most of the instruction booklets have been misplaced or shredded by my two boys so we now simply use our imagination.

Again, this is where my lesson comes into play.  I did a lot of sorting to come up with a final product.

I had to sort, sort, sort and sort some more to get what I could work with, even though the structure may not have been the same color and a few pieces stuck out here and there, I will still able to get it to work.

Isn’t that how things work in the business world?  Sort to find those individuals who will work….

I don’t care how rough around the edges they might be, what skill set they have or their background but I am more than happy to work with those who want to work!

I used to coach competitive volleyball and have since taken a break to raise my young family but again, the same principle applies.  It did not matter to me how rough or polished my volleyball players were as long as I had some raw athletic ability and a strong work ethic.  I could turn them into what most considered to be well equipped volleyball players.

So, just remember when you are forming relationships, looking for those to work with…..you will do lots of sorting and eventually come across many who are keen, focused and have a desire to work.

Oh, got to run… more lego to build!

Cheers – Steve

Lessons From A Two Year Old

As some of you may know, I work part time as an Educator.  I am in my 11^th year of Teaching, 10 of which were full time.  However, this year both my wife and I have decided to work only part-time.  She actually only worked part-time last year as well and I was able to witness the benefits of doing so.  The main reason is that it allows us more time with our children.  My oldest is 4 ½ and youngest being 2 ½

So, what lesson have I learned that I think is worth sharing?

It has to be the lesson where we never give up.  Have you ever watched a child attempt to do something without ever thinking to themselves that giving up would be an option?  Sure the child may get upset, cry a little or have a melt-down but they still want resolve.

The same has to be true of us.  We are going to face difficult times.  I believe that will knowledge comes responsibility.  If we have learned something that the masses have yet to understand, it is our responsibility to share and give, give, give.

The situation that drove home this point of not quitting occurred when we were outside playing in the snow.  We were out playing in what I call our winter wonderland.  You see, we live in Eastern Canada and yes, we get a measurable amount of snow each winter.

I say winter wonderland because we have taken it upon ourselves to build 2 sizeable “forts”, carve into the snow seating around our outdoor fire pit to roast marshmellows and make “smorse” (for those who don’t know what they are….you are missing out big time!) and we have constructed 2 sliding runs that converge at the bottom and run into a huge wall.  The boys love it and are old enough to not only slide by themselves but also carry their sled up the hill (big bonus)

So, back to the lesson….sorry got carried away with the description.

We were outside playing and it was snowing at the time and all of our paths (mazes) were not yet shovelled.  My 2 ½ year old has a great memory and decided he wanted to pull his sled around the house and do the usual laps that he frequently does.

The problem arose when he realized that it would be much more difficult to accomplish because daddy still hadn’t shovelled the 10 inches of snow.  So I think you can begin to see the dilemma?  He is 2 ½ years old, dressed for comfort and warmth, not so much speed and he wants to walk his path…..

It was here that I was able to stand back and take a break from the shoveling and watch.  I was able to watch my youngest attempt to walk through snow that if things were to scale would be like us as adults trying to walk in snow half way up our thigh!  It would be difficult to do at best and we would likely give up.  That was not an option for Denver.  He walked the entire path that was not yet shoveled until he reached the clear path.

So, why is this such a valuable lesson?  It serves two purposes for me.  One, I was able to witness it because I am only working part-time.  It is moments like these that reassure me that taking a leave from my JOB and putting more time into my children and wife was a wise decision.  And two, it helped me realize that at times when I feel like giving up, I need only press on a little further and I will reach my finish line.

With 2010 being only 5 days old, now is the time to map out our goals for the year, the next 6 months, the next 3 months, the next month and every week as they come up.  We need to realize that if we want to succeed, quitting is not an option.  I could see it in the eyes of my 2 ½ year old, Denver, that giving up just wasn’t an option.

Now think about that…

2 Years ago I sat and thought about this, and said to myself,

‘You know something has got to be wrong here. Everyone is
preaching on what to do to become successful and live the
american dream, but everyone is on the same boat.”

And The chart above showed you the exact separation from those
on the boats(95%), and those on the yachts(1-4%).

The Entrepreneurial Philosophy…

Due to being connected and aligned with successful and the most

entrepreneurial minded people in the world, I was driven down a
whole different road.

I locked myself solely in on Plan A to the point where it is
either achieving Plan A or Die!

The difference with this philosophy is you put a laser focus on
what you ultimately want to accomplish, leaving you flat out no
choice but to accomplish it.

Oppose to having multiple focuses, which takes away your
emphasis on your major goal.

There is such great opportunity out there. It is just the matter
of the fact of doing what it takes to seize it.

Since very young, many of us had these aspirations on how we
were going to be something big.

Many of us have went on and accomplished those feats as well as
many let that vision slide away and became comfortable on living
the average life. But hey, “If you want the average, do what
average people do.”

Need I say More?

I wish you all continued success,

Aaron Seligson

P.S. “Life is What you Make of It”

Ultra International – Is It the Ultimate Opportunity Or Just More Hype?

Ultra International is a recent addition (just over 24 months ago) to the network marketing or home based business industry.  The company has been in the distribution business for roughly 20 years but decided to offer an opportunity for individuals who wanted to distribute their products and receive compensation for doing so.   To date it has approximately 5,000 active distributors.

I want to give my opinion on yet another company trying to enter into the Home Based Business Industry.  I will talk about the product line, the opportunity and quickly look at the pay plan

So, Ultra International…….

First and foremost the product line.  They have over 800 products available and are all of sound quality.

They have only selected about 40 products to distribute through the home based business opportunity at present.  They include a Natural Vision Vitamin line, an assortment of soaps, and Pure Selects house hold product line such as shampoo, conditioner, cleaners, etc.

Their anchor product is the Mind, Body and Soul series.  “Mind” is an industry leading antioxidant drink, “Body” is a weight management product and “Soul” is a super food which gives you 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per daily serving.

The enrolment fee is something quite special.  You actually do not need a monthly autoship and you can actually take on a Free position for 12 months.  During this time, however, if you share the business with someone and they purchase products, you receive a 22% commission.  Pretty incredible if you ask me….One of the few business opportunities that allow you to earn without actually recruiting anyone.

Now having looked at the compensation plan, I will tell you that it is a matrix, but unique in the sense that it pays you up to 12 levels deep.   Not too many other plans that pay so deep.  They actually have 8 different ways in which you can earn off of this compensation plan.  Far too many details to share in this short review.

So the decision now lies with you.  Look them up and do your homework not only for this company but for ANY company you are thinking about joining.  It is up to you whether or not you want to find a product or opportunity that really align with your passions and speak to your HEART.

Please be very weary of buying into pre launch hype…as pre launch generally ends rather quickly, and you are LEFT with the fundamentals.   With Ultra International, in my opinion, it is a sound choice because it has been in existence for 20 years yet only 2 years in multi-level marketing.

Part-Time Versus Full-Time Entrepreneur Part 13

Education, Education, AND More Education

Steve Hachey here and today I want to talk to you about the most efficient way to Educate yourself in the Marketing industry.

This is near and dear to my heart because I am an Educator.  I am in my 11^th year and this year is very special because of the fact that I am only Part-Time!  I have finally realized after 10 year of a JOB (just over broke) that I need to live life instead of working it away.

Being an Educator it is imperative that I continue to upgrade and further my Education.  When I jumped into network marketing a few years back I had no idea what I was doing…..much like the 95% +/- of those who are currently in marketing to some degree or another.

I knew that I was onto something but was in the dark and wet behind the ears.  So I began Educating myself on Marketing.  The quickest and most effective way to learn about marketing is without question……. subscribing to a system.

That it is, no ands, ifs or buts! (no sure about the spelling but I don’t care at this point)  I want to drive home the point that yes, reading, audios, seminars are all part of your ingredients to your success but hands down, a SYSTEM is the answer!

The beauty of a system is that it will not only help build your business but will also educate yourself at the exact same time.

I know there are a handful of systems out there, all with their own strengths and weaknesses.  It all depends on what you are looking I guess.

The system I use was created by a young individual who has made it his mission to empower others to reach their full potential with the cutting edge use of technology.

Gone are the days of home meetings, hotel meetings, creating your list of 100 friends and family members…..This system educates you on the power of the internet.  We learn exactly how to market online and how to have people want to partner up and learn from us.

Don’t get me wrong, if you live in a very heavily populated area, then you can probably find enough people to hold a home meeting or a monthly hotel meeting.  Eventually that grows old….

Let’s face it folks…..if you are in sales, either direct, multi-level, affiliate, or any combination you need to learn how to market.  It only stands to reason because the examples I just listed are all in the “Marketing” arena!

So, if you are truly serious about taking things to the next level you will want to do your homework and take a close look at paying a small monthly fee for a system.

You want to look for a proven system, one that has hours of training on all the latest strategies such as social media (facebook, twitter, youtube, etc), forums, article writing, pay per click advertising, blogging, product creation, preloaded data capture pages, just to name a few

If you want further information on one of the most powerful systems, then go to http://www.askstevehachey.com right now, look to the right of the page and sign up for the incredible amount of information that will come up once you opt-in.  You will not be disappointed as I KNOW I will be saving you months of headache and frustration …. smile

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee…You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling.

It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.  Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil.

In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, ‘ Tell me what you see. ‘ ‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee, ‘ she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, ‘What does it mean, mother? ‘ Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water…….. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

‘Which are you? ‘ she asked her daughter. ‘ When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?

Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can ‘ t go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

You might want to send this message to those people who mean something to you (I JUST DID); to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those who make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendship you appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life.

If you don’t send it, you will just miss out on the opportunity to brighten someone’s day with this message!

May we’ll all be COFFEE!!!!!!

Cheers – Steve

ps My mom sent this to me via email today and I have no idea the author….just felt it was important to share